Heart Throbbing Love
by SoraxSilverheart01
Summary: This ia a songfic for the couple Zack and Cloud. Pre-AC. The song What Hurts the Most. A look in what Cloud feels when he couldn't say what he wanted to say to Zack before he died and a little view of how he lives a little. Rated T for safety


Sky Chrysanthemum: Sky here! Well this is another fanfiction I made. This one coming from this annoying little plot bunny that wouldn't get out of my head. This is not a Kaisu x Sephy fanfic this time. Instead it's a Cloud x Zack songfic.

Zack, Cloud: Great! Now it's our turn to get torture.

Sky: SHUT UP! Just be grateful. *faces audience* Okay without any further interruption, Zack and Cloud shall be doing the disclaimers. *to Zack and Cloud* GO!

Zack: Sky does not own me or Cloud or any of the other characters that shows up that goes to Square Enix, but she secretly wish she does.

Cloud: And the song What Hurts The Most belongs to Rascal Flatts.

Sky: Note to readers, [_**this is the song lyrics]**__, thoughts_,** and past. **Also if there are words that are words like_** this in the flashbacks,**_ they are thoughts.

**Heart Throbbing Love**

"Hey Cloud, it's raining really hard. Do you think it'll stop?" a brunet boy asked.

The blonde man, Cloud, answered, "Who knows." His tone was dead as he looked out the window.

"Cloud, what's wrong?" asked the boy.

"Nothing, Denzel," Cloud said as he stood up from his seat. "Tell Tifa I'm going out."

"When will you be back?" asked Denzel.

"I don't know," Cloud said.

"Oh, okay," Denzel said, sounding slightly disappointed. "Bye Cloud."

"Bye Denzel," Cloud said, leaving the brunet boy alone in the bar.

_**[ I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house That don't bother me ]**_

Stepping out from the bar, Cloud got on his motorcycle and drove away from the bar. As he drove away, tears began to fall from his eyes. The tears mixing with the rain that slid down his face.

_Zack, I'm so sorry, _Cloud thought. Cloud needed to go there, even though it still hurts him to. He had to do this.

_**[ I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while Even though going on with you gone still upsets me ]**_

Cloud rode up to a cliff, just parking a few meters away from the sword that was in the ground. Getting off Fenrir, Cloud walked up to the Buster Sword. The tears long gone now.

"Zack..." Cloud said softly as his fingers grazed the blade of the Buster Sword.

Every time he touched the blade, it was like he was still there. Cloud was able to hear him there.

"Hey Spikey, you doing okay? You seem kinda sad." Cloud could hear him saying that right now.

"Yeah, I'm doing okay," Cloud answered, new tears falling from his eyes again because he knew Zack would never answer him back or smile at him again.

_**[ There are days every now and again I pretend I'm okay But that's not what gets me ]**_

**"Hey Spike," a raven haired SOLDIER called.**

** "Hi Zack!" Cloud greeted back with a smile. "So, what's on your schedule?"**

** "I'm leaving for a mission soon," Zack replied****.**

**"Oh," Cloud exclaimed, sounding a bit disappointed.**

** "What about you?" Zack asked.**

** "I'm going to go train," Cloud answered.**

** "And how is it going so far?" Zack asked, still smiling.**

** "It's going okay. My captain says I've improved quite a lot and that's all because of you."**

**"That's great Cloud, but you don't have to thank me. You did it all on your own, I just helped," Zack said, scratching the back of his head out of embarrassment****.**

**Cloud just smiled at the way Zack was acting because of his comment. He knew that Zack would get that way and loved every second of it. Cloud loved him after all, but Zack didn't know that.**

** "Hey Zack," Cloud said, getting the attention of the other man.**

**"Yeah, Spike?" Zack questioned as he tilted his head to the side.**

** "I want to tell you something."**

**"Okay, go ahead, Spike."**

**"I realize that I l--" before Cloud could finish his sentence, a phone began to ring.**

** "Sorry Cloud, I better get this," Zack said as he held one finger up and took out his phone from his pocket. Answering the phone, Zack began to speak. "Hello, Zack here.... Oh, right, I'll be right there.... Yeah." Zack closed his phone and placed it back in his pocket. Turning his attention back to Cloud, he scratched the back of his head again. "Sorry about that Spikes," Zack apologized.**

** "It's okay Zack, but who was that?" Cloud asked out of curiosity.**

** "Tseng, I have to hurry up, but it can wait until after you tell me what you wanted to say."**

** "It's nothing. You better go before you get into trouble."**

** "Right. See ya when I get back, Cloud," Zack said as he walked away from the blonde.**

** "Bye Zack." Cloud waved back. "Love you," Cloud said softly.**

_**[ What hurts the most Was being so close And having so much to say And watching you walk away And never knowing What could have been And not seeing that lovin' you Is what I was tryin' to do ]**_

Cloud woke to the sound of thunder. Looking at his surrounding, Cloud noticed that it was night time and that it was still raining. Surprisingly, he had fallen asleep in this weather.

_I must have fallen asleep, _thought Cloud. Getting up from his seat on the cold ground, Cloud walked over to Fenrir and straddled it. Starting up Fenrir, Cloud gave the Buster Sword another glance and drove away.

Beep Beep

Cloud ignored the ringing of his phone. Right now, all he wanted to do was go to the Shinra building. He just wanted to remember more of the time he had spent with Zack.

It took only thirty minutes for Cloud to get to the Shinra building. Finally deciding it was best to listen to the voicemail that was left on his phone. Holding it up to his ear, Cloud heard Tifa's voice.

"Hey Cloud, it's me, Tifa. Denzel told me you were going out and wasn't sure when you were coming back. So just to let you know, we'll be having a small reunion with the whole gang tomorrow. So you better be there."

"End of mess--"

Cloud hung up the phone before the annoying voicemail could finish its line. Placing the phone back in his pocket, Cloud grudgingly turned around and headed back to the Seventh Heaven.

_**[ It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go But I'm doin' it ]**_

Morning came all too fast for Cloud's liking. All of their friends coming into the bar, much to the disdain of Cloud's taste. He didn't want to see any of them. All he wanted to do was get out of there.

"Hey Cloud!" A cheerful young woman greeted as she bounced over to Cloud's side.

"Hello Yuffie," Cloud greeted back.

"How are you?" Yuffie asked.

"I'm doing fine," Cloud said, even though that was the exact opposite. "And you?" He decided to offer a small smile to the overly hyper ninja.

"Great!" the ninja said all too loudly. "It's great to see you smile for once."

"Yuffie, can you help me out over here?" a busty brunet asked.

"Sure Tifa," Yuffie said as she bounced over to Tifa.

_Is it that rare for me to smile? _Cloud thought. Then again the last time Cloud had truly smile was when he was with Zack.

_**[ It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone ]**_

It was well past midnight already and everyone had gone home and was fast asleep, everyone but Cloud and Tifa.

Cloud sat at one of the bar's table, a glass in his hand.

"Hey Cloud," Tifa said as she took a sit across from the blonde.

"Hey Teef," Cloud greeted back. He poured himself another drink, even though it was rare for him to drink.

Noticing the blonde drinking for the first time, Tifa opened her mouth. "That's strange. You don't normally drink Cloud."

"I do from time to time."

"Mind if I join you?"

"Can I just drink alone?"

"If you want to drink alone than go to your room," Tifa said, sounding a bit offended by Cloud's request.

"Fine," Cloud said as he got up from his seat and grabbed the bottle, heading for his room.

Waking up to the bright morning sun shining in his face, Cloud covered his eyes. Not because the light was too bright, but because he had started to cry softly. The dream from last night playing over in his head like a broken video. Zack was in it and it was when they had first met each other. To make matters worse, the dream had to be crystal clear to Cloud, like it was happening to him right at that instant.

"Cloud!" Tifa called. "You better get up! You have deliveries to do!"

"I'm up, Tifa!" Cloud shouted back as he got out of his bed and got ready for the long day ahead of him. All the while the same thoughts playing in his head over and over again.

_If I was only stronger... If I had never met Zack... he would still be here... Then he wouldn't have had to die for my sake... If I could do it all over and tell him how I felt... maybe then..._

_**[ Still harder Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret But I know if I could do it over ]**_

Looking out the window, Cloud let out a sigh. Grabbing the deliveries that needed to be done today, he went to Fenrir. Loading all the packages in it.

If only Cloud could turn back time and tell Zack his feelings. Cloud would give anything for that. All the words he wanted to say, but were too afraid of being rejected by the one person he had fallen in love with. The same words that was still left in his heart and unspoken.

_**[ I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart That I left unspoken ]**_

**"I love you, Spikes. You know that right?" Zack said to a comatose Cloud. "I don't know if you feel the same way about me, but I just wanted to let you know."**

_**Zack, **_**Cloud thought as tears was beginning to build up in his blue eyes, but couldn't be shed. **_** I love you too. I loved you for a long time. Zack, please don't ever leave me.**_** Even though he wanted to say those words, Cloud was unable to make his body function the way he wanted them to.**

** "I'll be back. I'm going to go find us some food, Cloud," Zack said, standing up and leaving the blonde by himself.**

**_Zack... Don't go..._ Cloud thought as he saw the blurred figure of Zack walking away.**

**_[ What hurts the most Was being so close And having so much to say And watching you walk away And never knowing What could have been And not seeing that loving you Is what I was tryin' to do ]_**

** Zack placed Cloud behind a cliff side as soon as they got off of the truck. Kneeling next to the still comatose Cloud, Zack smiled at the blonde. Giving Cloud's head a shake, most likely knowing this would be the last, Zack got up and walked away from the blonde.**

** Not knowing that as he walked away, the blonde was looking up at him and was reaching for him. His eyes begging the retreating figure to not go, but to run away and leave him behind.**

** "Zack... don't do it..." Cloud mouthed, no sound escaping his throat and even if sound could be made, he wouldn't be able to let them out anyways. "Please... I love you..."**

_**[ What hurts the most Was being so close And having so much to say And watching you walk away And never knowing What could have been ]**_

** "Z--Zack?" the blonde questioned as he leaned over his best friend and took in the sight of his body. **

** The once unmarred skin of Zack's was ridden with bullet wounds. Blooding pouring out from the wounds and mixing with the already bloody rain water. It pained Cloud to see Zack like this.**

** Looking at the blonde and trying to hide the pain in his voice. "For the... both of... us..." Zack paused, each labor breath taking a toll on his already weaken body.**

** "Both of us?" Cloud questioned.**

** "That's right... you're gonna..." Another pause.**

** "You're gonna..." Cloud said, a little hesitant to find out what his friend would say next.**

** Reaching for the back of the blonde's neck, Zack brought Cloud's head to his chest. Zack's blood getting on Cloud's face.**

** "Live... You'll be... my living legacy..." Zack said, his arm falling to the ground and releasing the hold on Cloud's head.**

** Leaning away, Cloud stared at his best friend and crush. Words unable to leave his mouth.**

** Smiling for the first time since the battle had ended; Zack used the remaining of his strength to lift the Buster Sword up to Cloud.**

** "My honor, my dreams, they're yours now," Zack said as he waited for Cloud to take it.**

** Reaching for the hilt of the giant sword, Cloud hesitantly took it with one hand, before Zack shoved it to him and making him hold it with both hands.**

** Repeating what Zack had already told him, Cloud said, "I'm your... living legacy..."**

** Zack just nodded his head and smiled as his eyes finally closed and darkness over taking his system.**

** It had finally hit Cloud that Zack was never going to wake up again, that he was never going to open his eyes and tell Cloud that this was all a practical joke-- a sick practical joke. Trying to take in as much air as he was able to, Cloud let out a heart throbbing scream. A scream that could be heard miles away. The pain, the hurt, the sadness, all evident in that single scream and the love he had for the now dead man that was next to him.**

___**Zack, you can't leave me, you just can't! **_**Cloud thought, as the tears fell from his eyes.**_** I'm finally better and now you're dead! It's not fair! I love you!**_

_**[ And not seeing that loving you Is what I was tryin' to do ]**_

Cloud was standing on the very same cliff Zack had died on, the Buster Sword rusted and worn from countless days in the outdoor weather. Looking at the sword, tears streamed down his face.

"Why Zack?" Cloud questioned. "Why did you do it? Why didn't you run? If you had then you would still be here and with me..."

Silence met Cloud's questioned.

"Zack..." Cloud started.

Then rain began to fall from the heavens. Soaking the blonde all the way to his bones.

"I love you," Cloud said. "I'll always love you, no matter what. I just wished you knew that."

Turning away from the last gift he had gotten from Zack, Cloud walked over to Fenrir. The tears were still flowing as he got on Fenrir with the rain beating on his skin. With one last look at the Buster Sword, Cloud drove away.

_**[ And not seeing that in loving you That's what I was trying to do ]**_

**Fin**

Sky: Woohoo! It's done. Gaia, this took me forever and please don't blame me for the title. I couldn't think up of a better one than that. Lame huh? Well, now that the plot bunny is out of my head I can party. Oh yeah!

Cloud: Good, now you can leave us alone.

Sky: Now, why would I do that, my dear Chocobo head?

Zack: You can get on with your other stories then.

Sky: True. *looks at the night sky* Oh well. *shrugs* I'll think about it later. And since it's late, I'm hitting the hay. Zack, Cloud, you two can do the asking of reviews. *yawns*

Zack, Cloud: Fine. *turns to audience* Now that you've read Sky's handy work, please review it and tell her how she did.

Sky: Yup and if you have any suggestions or request for another story, let me know through my email. Okay, night! *waves*

Zack, Cloud: Night! *waves as well*


End file.
